Daisy Martinez's Pernil (Roasted Pork Shoulder)

There is nothing better than a beautiful, fragrant, juicy pernil, the leftovers from which can be used to make a jibarito sandwich. To be sure your sandwich is irresistible, try to get the pork marinating at least 2 days before serving. That will not only flavor the roast completely, it will get the prep out of the way well in advance. Use this roast to make Daisy's irresistibly fresh jibarito or as the perfect addition to your holiday table.

Directions

Prepare wet adobo rub: Place the garlic cloves and salt in a mortar and pestle (the salt keeps the garlic from flying around) and pound them to a paste. Add the peppercorns and oregano, pounding each into the mix before adding the next. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar. This is best used when freshly made.

Marinate the roast up to 3 days before you plan to cook it: Make several slits about 2 inches apart and 1 1/2 inches long through the skin of the roast and into the meat, going halfway through the roast (unless you hit the bone). Wiggle your finger in the slits to make them easier to fill. (Although the adobo isn't spicy, you may find that a pair of latex gloves comes in handy for this.) Fill each slit with adobo, coaxing as much as you can into each with the help of an espresso spoon or small teaspoon. Turn the roast, and do the same on all sides. If you have adobo left over, rub it all over the outside of the roast. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 day, or up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Set the roast skin side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to 400° F and roast until the skin is deep golden brown and crackly and there is no trace of pink near the bone, at least 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast should register 150° F; to be sure, check the roast in a few spots. Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

To serve, removes the crispy skin. It will pull right off in nice big pieces. Cut them into smaller pieces (kitchen shears work well for this) and pile them up on the center of the serving platter. Carve the meat parallel to the bone all the way down to the bone. (It will get trickier to carve neat slices as you get near the bone; don't let that bother you.)